The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, which will be flagged off by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on September 7 from Kanniyakumari, will be the ‘greatest long march’ to unite India against the BJP and RSS’ “divisive agenda”, according to Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri. He also believed that Mr. Gandhi will be the Prime Minister of India in 2024.
Mr. Alagiri told The Hindu that the rally from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir was very important for India and its society. “The RSS is behaving as if they are the saviours of Hindus and Hindu society. They tried to do this even in Mahatma Gandhi’s time. They failed in front of Gandhiji’s spirituality,” he said.
Mr. Gandhi had said at the Jaipur conclave earlier this year that Gandhi was a Hindu, while Godse was a Hindutvavadi. “Mr. Gandhi’s speeches make this distinction clear. The BJP and the RSS are picking and choosing as to who Indians are. This is very dangerous to the society,” Mr. Alagiri said.
On the Congress’ position in Tamil Nadu politics, considering its alliance with the DMK, he agreed that it was neither in the Opposition nor had a share in power, and it was a difficult situation to be in. “But we have a moral responsibility to support the government and the secular ideology of the alliance. We are working in the interest of the nation,” he said.
Mr. Alagiri, however, contended that he was the first to oppose the hike in property tax and had criticised the Kallakurichi school violence. “The Police Department cannot give any excuses at all. There was an intelligence failure. But the Chief Minister acted on it. Police officials were transferred. There were changes in the administration. Those who indulged in the violence were arrested,” he said.
Appreciating Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for his style of governance and for listening to various opinions before coming to decisions, Mr. Alagiri also lauded him for issuing a statement condemning his own party cadre for not keeping up the promise of giving leadership positions in the local bodies to alliance partners in some places.
“It is my personal opinion that alliances should be avoided in local body polls to prevent this type of scenario. Let all political parties fight the local body polls alone, and the alliance can fight the other polls together,” he added.
